News & Announcements
Sam Hazen and Neil Forbes recognized with Valley Venture Mentors Regional Startup Awards
Sam Hazen and Neil Forbes recognized with Valley Venture Mentors Regional Startup Awards
The Valley Venture Mentors (VVM) program of Springfield recently awarded prize money to 12 startup companies, including:
- Genoverde Biosciences Inc., based in part on research by Sam Hazen, biology, received the top prize of $25,000 for its proposal, “Engineering trees with increased carbon dioxide (CO2) capture capabilities to combat global climate change.”
- Ernest Pharmaceuticals Inc., based on research by Neil Forbes, chemical engineering, received $12,500 for its proposal, “Programmed bacteria to treat metastatic breast cancer.”
Chien Lab Finds Protease Adaptors Regulate Own Destruction
Chien Lab Finds Protease Adaptors Regulate Own Destruction
MCB researchers Peter Chien and Kamal Joshi were in the Inside UMass news for their finding that adaptors could be degraded by proteases, but only when the adaptors weren’t already busy delivering substrates. Their work was recently published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Read more
Two MCB students receive CBI traineeships
Two MCB students receive CBI traineeships
MCB students Samar Mahmoud (Chien Group) and Noelle Dziedzic (Stratton Group) have received traineeships through the NIH funded Chemistry Biology Interface Program at UMass. Selection is highly competitive for these two year awards. Current CBI trainees also include Ben Adams (Hebert Group), Derrick Deming (Garman Group), Yingying Geng (Rotello Group), Ana Torres Ocampo (Stratton Group) and Rilee Zeinert (Chien Group).
Jing Liu PhD Dissertation Defense
Jing Liu PhD Dissertation Defense
Monday, June 26, 2017
9:00 AM
Life Sciences Laboratories Building, Room N410
Dissertation title: Regulated proteolysis of DnaA coordinates cell growth with stress signals in Caulobacter crescentus
Advisor: Peter Chien
John Clark’s study about super lice resistance featured in Scientific American
John Clark’s study about super lice resistance featured in Scientific American
John Marshall Clark’s study showing that two-thirds to three-quarters of lice are immune to the effects of many insecticide treatments due to overexposure was recently featured in Scientific American. Read more
Thai receives a UMass President’s Science & Technology Initiatives Fund grant
Thai receives a UMass President’s Science & Technology Initiatives Fund grant
S. “Thai” Thayumanavan’s Center for Autonomous Chemistry, an initiative with UMass Lowell and the Medical School, has received $140,000 from the UMass President’s Science & Technology Initiatives Fund toward a project developing the molecular design fundamentals for autonomous chemical systems, inspired by the immune system. The project is one of nine in the five-campus system to receive this grant. Read more
Li Awarded $1.6 Million NIH Grant to Study Inner Ear Signal Processing
Li Awarded $1.6 Million NIH Grant to Study Inner Ear Signal Processing
Geng-Lin Li, biology, recently was awarded a five-year, $1.6 million grant by the National Institutes of Health to study auditory signal processing in the inner ear. His findings will expand basic understanding of hearing and could lead to better hearing protection. He says, “Our inner ear can process sensory signals with remarkable precision, but it comes with the cost of vulnerability, making it very easily damaged by noise and by aging. As we advance our basic understanding of hearing and satisfy our curiosity, new approaches could arise, allowing us to design better protection for people who work in a noisy environment.” (Read more...)
Scott Garman and other Public Engagement Fellows Share Research with Legislators and Policymakers
Scott Garman and other Public Engagement Fellows Share Research with Legislators and Policymakers
Scott Garman was one of five Public Engagement Project fellows to visit the State House May 9 to share research and explore synergies with state representatives, senators and other policy leaders. Read more
Sandra Petersen awarded NIEHS grant to study little-known gene linked to development, disease and disorders
Sandra Petersen awarded NIEHS grant to study little-known gene linked to development, disease and disorders
Sandra Petersen recently received a two-year, $438,000 exploratory grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to further her studies of a little-known gene, CUG RNA-binding protein 2 (CUGBP2), which affects sex-specific development processes in the brain and has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, neural cell death and reproductive disorders. Read more
Peter Chien receives CNS Oustanding Research Award
Peter Chien receives CNS Oustanding Research Award
Congratulations to Peter Chien, recipient of the CNS Outstanding Research Award (early career)! Peter's research focuses on protein degradation and unfolding, and protein quality control. He received the award recognizing his research accomplishments at a reception on April 27. Read more